Darwin bus drivers demand safer conditions as assaults, anti-social behaviour increases

More than 30 bus drivers have rallied outside Parliament House calling on the government to employ more Transit Officers. A long-time driver reveals the daily problems.

Dennis McAndrew has driven buses for 20 years: a job he calls “beautiful”.

But he says violence and anti-social behaviour towards drivers have increased by at least ten- fold

“Drivers come to work not knowing what is going to happen,” Mr McAndrew said.

“That should be once in a blue moon, not every day.”

On Sunday, at least 30 bus drivers rallied outside Parliament House to demand safer working conditions across the Darwin Bus Network, many of them requesting more powers for Transit Officers.

Bus driver Dennis McAndrew joins fellow TWU members as they strike outside parliament. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“They (Transit Officers) need to be able to tip out alcohol: remove loiterers from the interchange,” Mr McAndrew said.

Mr McAndrew suggested Transit Officers be given the powers to defend themselves.

“They are out there dealing with the same people as police officers and have nothing to defend themselves with,” he said.

Mr McAndrew said the “new powers” the NT government announced in September were a minor change but didn’t go far enough.

“They just put a Band-Aid on it. They introduced banning laws and the powers to arrest but (Transit Officers) don’t want to arrest people because they end up spending 2-4 hours waiting for police to turn up which there aren’t enough of either at the moment.”

During the rally, Transport Minister Eva Lawler addressed drivers and reassured them the government was also dealing with ongoing issues with “anti-social behaviour”.

“We want the anti-social behaviour to stop; it is a broader issue,” she said.

“We want to see your profession valued by the community, all of the community out there,” Ms Lawler said.

Transport Minister Eva Lawler meets with bus drivers as they strike outside parliament. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Ms Lawler listened to an impassioned crowd as they pleaded with her for urgent reforms.

“We have no powers,” one driver told Ms Lawler as a growing crowd surrounded her.

Transport Workers Union NT/SA branch manager Ian Smith said drivers across the country were off on stress leave after being assaulted while on the job.

“I don’t come to work to get punched. I don’t come to work to get abused. I don’t come to work to get spat on,” Mr Smith said.

“Enough is enough.”

Mr Smith said the union had organised for Ms Lawler to travel at night on several Darwin routes.

“Some of the trips were fine, but the ones that were bad were very bad,” he said.

“And that needs to stop. And that’s what these (drivers) have to deal with.”

Mr Smith said the travelling public deserves to be able to get on a bus and arrive safely and drivers had every right to be able to do their jobs and return to their families safely.

Mr Smith asked the government to urgently employ more Transit Officers but was unsure of exactly how many would be needed across the Darwin bus network.